New England Journal of Medicine June 1, 2017 Vol. 376 No. 22

Review ArticleThe Changing Face of Clinical TrialsHealth Policy Trials
Joseph P. Newhouse, Ph.D., and Sharon-Lise T. Normand, Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2017; 376:2160-2167 June 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1602774
Clinical trials are most commonly associated with drugs and devices, but there are notable examples of trials that involve health policy. Many such trials test innovations in the delivery of services, whereas others focus on financial incentives for patients or providers. This review of health policy trials is not meant to be comprehensive; rather, we mainly consider trials of financial incentives because of their relevance to public policy. Trials of different insurance plans may, for example, vary the degree of cost sharing borne by the patient or the scope of covered services, or they may vary the terms of provider reimbursement.